Gotham XII @ O2 Academy

It was with great sadness that we attended the last ever Gotham. We started with 9 and here we are at 12, or XII as this one was known.

We met up with Erin and Martine from Orpheum at various points during the day:

NESSUS RED
guitar driven industrial rock with a very Nine Inch Nails feel to them.  A good band to kick off proceedings and it was a shame so few people were there to see them.
Finished off with Beginning Of The End by Nine Inch Nails which was a nice touch!

See all the NESSUS RED pics here: 031211NessusRedGothamXII


MALEFICENT
They're firing on all cylinders with a new rockier sound and are better for it. Newer stuff tips it's hat to Marilyn  Manson. Feels like they are one step away from launching into the big time with a very polished and energetic performance. One costume change later and we could have been at a Lady Gaga gig!

See all the MALEFICENT pics here: 031211MaleficentGothamXII


LILYGUN
Hippy rock is alive and well but sadly marred by a guitar player who was just too loud on stage and drowned the rest of the band. It was a damn shame as I love Lilygun. That said the quality of the songs still managed to shine through and the crowd loved them.

See all the LILYGUN pics here:031211LilygunGothamXII


COLD IN BERLIN
If Joy Division met Siouxsie Sioux then this is what might happen!  Very angry post punk performance that had a very arty edge to it. They would go down a storm on a bill with Dutch Order.

See all the COLD IN BERLIN pics here: 031211ColdInBerlinGothamXII


SPECIMEN
Wow, cheeky buggers stealing the night! These guys never fail to impress and tonight was no exception. I feel sorry for any band that has to follow Specimen as they really are something special!

See all the SPECIMEN pics here: 031211SpecimenGothamXII


DIARY OF DREAMS
These guys were OK but after Specimen anybody else was always going to be a disappointment for us Good strong songs but just not performance of the night for us.

See all the DIARY OF DREAMS pics here: 031211DiaryOfDreamsGothamXII


....and so that was it for the Gotham gigs. Frank Flag bows out of the series with a fantastic end to it all, well done sir and thank you for running these events over the years. They will be missed!